Spain: Gaizxa Mendieta

Gaizka Mendieta hasn't set the world alight since joining Lazio for around €47million last summer.

But the former Valencia ace will still be one of the keys to Spain's hopes of World Cup glory in the Far East.

The goalscoring midfielder has become one of Europe's finest all-round players during the past few years.

And it was the Roman giants who finally managed to prise him away from the Mestalla with a huge offer.

Before that Mendieta had sprung to worldwide prominence as the fulcrum of a team that reached two successive Champions League semi-finals.

Last season he was part of a side that eliminated both Arsenal and Leeds United en route to ultimate final defeat by Bayern Munich in the San Siro.

That turned out to be Mendieta's last big game for Valencia, and a move to Lazio soon followed.

He has yet to show his best form in the Italian capital, but most foreign players take time to settle into the swing of Serie A.

And Lazio's poor early-season form hardly helped the settling-in process.

Mendieta worked his way through the under-21 ranks at international level and played in the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

He joined Valencia from Castellon in 1992 as a youth and then played his way into the hearts of the local crowd with his quality as an attacking midfielder.

He possesses a silky touch and superb ball control, and hardly ever gives the ball away.

But it's his ability to get forward and find the net that make him such a valuable player.

Possesses a venomous shot and is a real danger anywhere near the penalty box.